KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia sees the introduction of new varieties of
plants as an important component in commercial agriculture.

This is not only in terms of maintaining productivity and
competitiveness but also in meeting the ever changing demand of
fickle-minded consumers, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Breeding of new varieties of plants requires substantial investment in
terms of time, skills, labour, material resources and capital,” he
said.

“To encourage such investment, it is pertinent to provide exclusive
rights to plant breeders to enable them to recover their investment and to
reap the benefits of their innovative skill and creativity.

“This approach is in consonance with the National Agriculture Policy
(1998-2010), as good quality planting materials are recognised as
pre-requisites for the sustenance of productivity and competitiveness of
the agriculture sector.”

Muhyiddin said this in a speech read out by his deputy Datuk Mah Siew
Keong for the opening of the 7th Asian Regional Technical Meeting for
Plant Variety Protection here yesterday.

The minister said that Malaysia, being a signatory to the Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement, is obliged to provide
intellectual property rights protection for new varieties of plants –
either by a patent or by an effective sui generis (class of its
own), or a combination of both.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia had fulfilled its international obligation by
enacting the Protection of New Plant Varieties Act 2004.

The Act will be enforced from next year.

He said the rights of breeders of new plant varieties would be
protected, and that the Act would play an important role in the
transformation of Malaysian agriculture.

“It is envisaged that plant breeders in the country will be encouraged
to produce more superior varieties, while local farming communities can
also have greater access to more superior varieties from abroad,” he
added.

“The Act will also provide recognition to, and protection of
contribution made by, farmers, local communities and indigenous people
towards the creation of new plant varieties.

“It will encourage investment in the development of the breeding of new
plant varieties in both the public and private sectors.”

He said the main provisions of the Act were based largely on the
International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties model, with
reference to the Convention of Biological Diversity and existing
intellectual property rights systems in Japan, Australia, India and
Thailand.